26Feb
Saint Broforios bishop of Gaza (Palestine, 353-420)
Broforios was born in Thessalonica [in Greece] in a pious family, rich in virtues and earthly goods. As a young man he joined the monastic life in Upper Egypt , where he spent some five years growing up in virtues and holiness. After that he visited the Holy Land, and ended in a isolated cave leading an very austere monastic life, exercising stern sacrifices until he nearly died. At that he turned back to Jerusalem where God miraculously healed him.
There be got ordained a priest, and became in charge of guarding the wood of the Holy Cross. In the year 369 he was ordained the bishop of Gaza by the John the Archbishop of Caesarea. Now the people of Gaza, who were mostly pagans, went out angry in riot seeking to kill the new bishop. Thus Broforios run away. After that a dry drought reigned the land of Palestine, and the pagans thought they could affects their gods mercy by the many sacrifices and prayers they offered, but they proved futile. But, God answered generously the ardent prayers of his Saint Broforios, and sent good rain, which brought many pagans to believe in the True God, Jesus Christ. After that the Saint traveled up north to Constantinople and requested help from the king Arkadius and the queen Afdokia, who ordered some troops to go down and destroy Gaza’s idols and pagan temples.
Then, Saint Broforios erected a great Church in Gaza, using the money that the Queen granted him, which he named “Afdokia” and was known for being the most beautiful church in the region. After a life filled with virtues and heroic deeds, Saint Borforios moved up to the heavenly glory in the year 420. May his prayers be with us. Amen.
& Saint Alexander bishop of Alexandria (Egypt)
Alexander was born in Alexandria and managed to acquire an excellent religious and scientific education and a righteous life. His bishop Teyona ordained him a priest. He then endured dire persecutions under the reigns of Kings Diocletian and Maximilian. In the year 312 he was elected a Patriarch after Akilas, when Arius was busy spreading out the seeds of his stinky heresy among Christ’s people. Alexander tried to win Arius back to Church peacefully, but when this last refused to listen to the Patriarch’s advice, he had to face excommunication coming from the Holy Synod, which the Patriarch called for in Alexandria. Arius then was kicked out of Alexandria along with some follower of him. But Arius did not submit himself to the will of his bishop, rather got active in Palestine preaching his heresy, and even convinced some bishops to follow his corrupted teachings. Upon this Saint Alexander deemed it necessary to mobilize the Church to stand firm against this evil heresy, and contacted Pope Sylvister and King Constantine, and managed to get the ecumenical Synod of Nice I held, and condemned Arius’ teachings and sent him and his followers to the exil.
Patriarch Alexander stood solid defending the Catholic faith in the Synod, explaining with strong inspired arguments that The Son is equally divine like the Father. Saint Alexander died few months after the Nicean 1st Council in his Cathedral in Alexandria, Egypt, in the year 326. May his prayers be with us. Amen.